I never got one thing clear in the Strength to weight limit in D&D 3.5. It is well defined from the rules that with Strength 0, the character lies on the floor, unable to move. If Strength is 1, the weight limit a character can carry is in the order of some kilogram, say 5 kg (sorry I don't have the table at hand).

Is this amount in addition to the intrinsic weight of the character himself, or not ? In other words, is a character with Strength 1 but weighting 15 kg able to propel himself forward ?

2 Answers
2

Since the rules are specifically mentioning weapons, armor, and equipment when it comes to carrying capacity it can be assumed that the character's body weight does not factor into carrying capacity. If body weight were to be accounted for, then most characters would need a strength score in the mid-20's at least to not be encumbered (at least based on the chart on D&D Wiki).

Good question. I assume you mean Strength. The short answer is, no, you're character's own weight doesn't count against encumberance.

Being unable to move at 0 Strength is probably a special case, like being at 0 hit points and being reduced to a partial action. I looked it up in the Pathfinder core rulebook, and it seems like it isn't well-defined. I'm trying to find my regular 3.5 book to see if it's mentioned there. I noticed in the Ray of Enfeeblement spell description (Pathfinder version), it can't reduce a character's Strength below 1.

Edit

I found my DMG. The rules are definite:

"Strength 0 means that the character cannot move at all. He lies helpless on the ground."
(p. 289, Ability Score Loss, in the Glossary)

And, at STR 1, he probably can't lift the weight of his own gear, even with his maximum lifting capacity. So, he might not be able to move until he gets rid of some of it.
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RMorriseyAug 22 '10 at 21:28

Yes. sorry, got an italian-speaking evening and I mixed up the vocabulary.
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Stefano BoriniAug 22 '10 at 21:39

Edited with the official rule from the DMG
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RMorriseyAug 22 '10 at 23:11